Clipper Navigation
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ferry transportation, Travel and tourism |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington , United States |
Area served | Seattle, Victoria (British Columbia), Vancouver (British Columbia), San Juan Islands |
| Products | Passenger ferry service, Vacation packages (Clipper Vacations) |
| Parent | Förde Reederei Seetouristik (FRS Group) |
Clipper Navigation, Inc., operating as a division of Förde Reederei Seetouristik (FRS Group), is a U.S.-based ferry company with its main office located in Seattle, Washington. The enterprise provides transportation and vacation packages under the Clipper Vacations label, which include accommodations and guided tours in Seattle, Victoria, British Columbia, and Vancouver, British Columbia.
The company's premier operation is the Victoria Clipper, a fast passenger ferry linking downtown Seattle directly to Victoria's Inner Harbour.
History
Established in 1986 with the launch of the MV Victoria Clipper I servicing the Seattle–Victoria corridor, Clipper Navigation gradually grew its fleet and expanded routes. The MV Clipper II was introduced to serve the San Juan Islands, while the MV Victoria Clipper III—currently known as MV San Juan Clipper—was added to facilitate daily whale-watching excursions departing from Friday Harbor, Washington, operating seasonally from mid-May through September since 1991. Additionally, the company created Clipper Vacations to offer combined travel experiences.
In 2016, the German maritime company FRS acquired Clipper Vacations and revealed intentions to broaden service offerings, including new connections between Victoria and Vancouver as well as routes linking Florida and Cuba.
Fleet
The current fleet consists of two high-speed catamaran vessels: the MV Victoria Clipper V and the MV San Juan Clipper. These ships provide service to Seattle, Victoria, and Friday Harbor and are recognized among the swiftest passenger ferries in the western hemisphere.
Historically, Clipper Navigation operated the MV Princess Marguerite III, a vehicle ferry running between Seattle and Victoria until its discontinuation in 1999 due to substantial operational expenses. At present, no car ferry operates on this route; travelers with automobiles generally use the MV Coho departing from Port Angeles. The Washington State Ferries service connecting Anacortes to Sidney and Victoria was terminated and is not anticipated to resume before 2030. Clipper Vacations facilitates combined reservations for the Coho ferry alongside hotel accommodations. Earlier vessels in the company's history include MV Victoria Clipper I and MV Victoria Clipper IV.
Operations
Clipper runs a daily round-trip ferry service between Pier 69 in Downtown Seattle and Downtown Victoria, with a journey duration of roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes. Each ferry can carry up to 525 passengers.
In addition to ferry transportation, Clipper Vacations promotes packages that combine hotel stays and tours in Victoria, Seattle, and Vancouver, offering a comprehensive travel experience.